Best Anti-Aging Serum for 50s: 6 Picks for Fine Lines and Wrinkles

The best anti aging serum for 50s skin is one gentle retinoid at night, or a peptide serum if retinol irritates you, plus sunscreen every morning. Our first pick is RoC Derm Correxion Fill + Treat Serum, a fragrance-free drugstore retinol with hyaluronic acid that a dermatologist told TODAY suits even sensitive skin.

Below are six serums: two retinoids, two peptide serums and two vitamin C serums. Four are drugstore.

Quick picks

What changes in your 50s (and what a serum can do)

Two things: collagen and sensitivity. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says women's skin loses about 30% of its collagen in the first five years of menopause, then about 2% a year after that. Lines that only showed when you smiled start to stay.

Around 50, the AAD adds, skin's pH shifts and it becomes more easily irritated. That's why every serum below is fragrance-free by the brand's own description, and why we put a gentle option at the top.

The AAD's advice for wrinkles and sagging is to protect your skin from the sun and to consider a product with retinol or peptides. A serum is simply a concentrated way to get one of those onto your face.

Keep expectations honest. The AAD says anti-aging products deliver modest results, and "You cannot get the results of a facelift from a cream." Sunscreen and moisturizer still do the most work.

RoC Derm Correxion Fill + Treat Serum

Best for: a first retinol, or retinol for sensitive skin. Drugstore.

What we love

• It pairs retinol with what RoC calls "Triple Hyaluronic Acid", three forms of hyaluronic acid "to instantly plump your skin and fill in the look of wrinkles."
• Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner told TODAY the combination helps minimize irritation, "so it can be used even in people who have sensitive skin."
• RoC lists it as fragrance-free and paraben-free, and tags it for skin from 45 to 65+.
• It won Allure's 2022 Best of Beauty award for a retinol facial serum, according to RoC.

Keep in mind

• It's a small bottle (10 or 15 ml), and TODAY flags "Not a lot of product."
• RoC suggests AM and PM use, but its own tips say start every other night. We'd keep it to nights, as the AAD advises for retinoids.

Key ingredients: retinol, three forms of hyaluronic acid, shea butter, swertia extract, vitamin E.

How to use: after cleansing, tap a thin layer onto lines every other night, then moisturizer. Sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher the next morning.

Check price on Amazon

e.l.f. SKIN Youth Boosting Advanced Night Retinoid Serum

Best for: someone who already uses retinol and wants a step up. Drugstore.

What we love

• Two retinoids in one: "1% Granactive Retinoid, 0.06% retinal," according to e.l.f.
• Dermatologist Dr. Michael Jacobs told NBC Select he likes it because it's fragrance-free and has hyaluronic acid for hydration. NBC made it the budget pick in its retinal guide.
• The brand calls the texture a "lightweight, silky serum," for oily, dry, normal and combination skin.

Keep in mind

• NBC lists "Potent formula" as the downside. Retinal is the strongest of the over-the-counter retinoids, Dr. Gloria Lin told NBC.
• e.l.f. says mild dryness, redness or peeling is normal at first and suggests a few nights a week to start. Keep it off your eye area.

Key ingredients: granactive retinoid, retinal, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants.

How to use: at night on clean, dry skin, before moisturizer. e.l.f. says the first subtle changes may show after about 4 weeks.

Check price on Amazon

Cetaphil Healthy Renew Face Serum

Best for: sensitive skin that doesn't get along with retinol. Drugstore.

What we love

• Cetaphil calls it a "gentle anti-aging alternative to retinol" built on purified peptides, plus niacinamide and panthenol.
• Dermatologist Dr. Danilo Del Campo told NBC Select the line suits anyone seeking "cost-effective and potent peptide formulations that are suitable even for sensitive skin."
• The brand says it's hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic and fragrance-free, and that its peptides "don't increase sensitivity to sun."
• You can use it morning and night, so it fits around any routine.

Keep in mind

• NBC's one complaint: it's "difficult to dispense."

Key ingredients: purified peptides, niacinamide, panthenol, glycerin, rice lees and edelweiss extracts.

How to use: apply to your whole face with your fingertips after cleansing, morning and night. Moisturizer after, sunscreen on top in the morning.

Check price on Amazon

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum

Best for: a peptide serum with more firepower, on days you're not using retinol. Mid-range.

What we love

• The Ordinary says it combines "five well-studied peptide technologies, skin-friendly amino acids, and multiple hyaluronic acids," plus copper peptides.
• Dr. Gloria Lin told NBC Select it's a more approachable price for peptides, and that you can use it twice a day.
• It's water-based, and we found no fragrance in the ingredient list.

Keep in mind

• The brand says not to use it with retinoids, direct acids or strong vitamin C. If you use a retinoid at night, this one goes in the morning without vitamin C, or on retinol-free nights.
• NBC notes it's "prone to pilling." Let it dry before moisturizer.
• The Ordinary suggests a patch test if your skin is sensitive. It used to be called "Buffet + Copper Peptides 1%."

Key ingredients: copper tripeptide-1, acetyl hexapeptide-8, palmitoyl tripeptides, hyaluronic acid, amino acids.

How to use: a few drops after cleansing, morning and evening, before moisturizer.

Check price on Amazon

CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum

Best for: a budget-friendly morning antioxidant under sunscreen. Drugstore.

What we love

• It has 10% L-ascorbic acid with three ceramides, hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5, according to CeraVe.
• All three dermatologists NBC Select interviewed recommend it as the affordable alternative to SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic. Dr. Carmen Castilla likes that the squeeze bottle is "a little bit better at preventing oxidation."
• CeraVe says it's free of added fragrance, non-comedogenic and suitable for sensitive skin.

Keep in mind

• NBC's downside is the small size. Store it somewhere cool and dark, as CeraVe advises.
• On Amazon it's listed as "CeraVe Skin Brightening Vitamin C Serum." It's the same CeraVe vitamin C serum.

Key ingredients: 10% L-ascorbic acid, ceramides NP, AP and EOP, hyaluronic acid, panthenol.

How to use: mornings only, on face and neck after cleansing, then moisturizer and sunscreen. Avoid the eye area.

Check price on Amazon

Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum

Best for: dry skin, and anyone who finds classic vitamin C serums stingy. Splurge.

What we love

• It uses THD ascorbate, a vitamin C the brand describes as "highly stable and oil-soluble," instead of L-ascorbic acid.
• Former NBC Select reporter Bianca Alvarez calls it "creamy, lotion-like" and loves it for her dry skin. NBC editor Mili Godio says it's one of the only vitamin C serums that doesn't irritate her sensitive, rosacea-prone skin.
• Squalane, jojoba esters and glycerin are in the formula, and the brand says it works for dry and oily skin.

Keep in mind

• Sunday Riley calls it fragrance-free, but its ingredient breakdown lists sweet orange and tangerine as botanicals. Patch test if fragrance or citrus bothers your skin.
• It's the most expensive pick here.

Key ingredients: THD ascorbate (vitamin C), soybean sterols, saccharide isomerate, squalane, jojoba esters.

How to use: in the morning after cleansing. Godio mixes it into her moisturizer, which is a fine way to use it. Sunscreen on top.

Check price on Amazon

How to choose the best anti aging serum for wrinkles

Pick by what bothers you most, then give it time. The AAD says most products take at least six weeks, sometimes three months.

Fine lines and wrinkles: a retinoid at night

The AAD says a retinoid is a good option for mild fine lines and wrinkles. Its dermatologists advise the least-intense formula you can find, every other night to start, only at night, with sun protection by day.

Start with RoC. Move to e.l.f. only after your skin is happy with retinol for a few months.

Retinol for sensitive skin

The AAD says people with very dry skin or skin allergies "are probably not good candidates" for a retinoid, and that people with a lot of redness should ask a dermatologist first. If that's you, choose peptides: Cetaphil Healthy Renew is the gentlest pick here.

With darker skin tones, the AAD warns that irritation can leave dark marks. Go slowly and moisturize.

Dullness and uneven tone: vitamin C in the morning

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can neutralize oxidants from pollution and UV light, according to a review in Nutrients. Dermatologists told NBC Select that 10% to 20% is the useful range, and that L-ascorbic acid is the most effective form but also the most irritating. That's why we offer both CeraVe (L-ascorbic acid) and Sunday Riley (THD ascorbate).

One new product at a time

Using several anti-aging products at once can irritate skin, and the AAD says irritated skin looks older. Add one serum, wait a few weeks, then decide whether to add a second.

Don't skip sunscreen

The AAD calls sunscreen and moisturizer the two most effective anti-aging products you can buy. Use a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher every morning. Our guide to moisturizer or sunscreen first covers where a serum goes in that order.

Best anti wrinkle serum: comparison

FAQs

What is the best serum for wrinkles?

For most people over 50, a retinoid used at night is the place to start, because the AAD says retinoids suit mild fine lines and wrinkles. Our pick is RoC Derm Correxion Fill + Treat for a first retinol. If your skin is sensitive or very dry, a peptide serum like Cetaphil Healthy Renew is the gentler choice.

Is it too late to start retinol in your 50s?

No. Dermatologist Dr. Robert Anolik told TODAY "The benefits will still occur," whenever you start. Begin with the gentlest formula every other night and build up slowly, as the AAD advises.

Can I use vitamin C and retinol together?

Use them at different times. e.l.f. suggests vitamin C in the morning and the retinoid at night, and that's the simplest split. Don't add The Ordinary's peptide serum on top of either; the brand says to keep it away from retinoids and strong vitamin C.

What's the best anti aging serum for your 60s?

The same rules apply, with more emphasis on gentleness, because skin gets drier with age. Start with Cetaphil Healthy Renew or RoC every other night, use a rich fragrance-free moisturizer over it, and see our lotion for aging skin picks for face and body.

How long does an anti-aging serum take to work?

Most products take at least six weeks, and some take three months, the AAD says. Use one serum consistently before judging it, and don't add a second until then.

One serum, used consistently at night, and sunscreen every morning: that's most of what a serum in your 50s can do for you.